12 of the best things to do in the Peterborough area this week

Sporting Family Fun Day

Central Park, June 8

Friends of Central Park and a number of partners and supporters have organised a day of ‘have a go’ outdoor sports activities for the whole family. The event offers many free opportunities to try different sports and will herald the start of several activities and events that will be taking place throughout the summer months in Central Park.

Families can go along and try a variety of sports throughout the day. These include cricket, karate, football, bowling and tennis as well as Vivacity sports coaches who will be providing family games equipment for use throughout the day. Qualified coaches will provide their time and equipment free of charge for both adults and children so the whole family can come along and have a go at something new. People just need to take sensible clothing and flat shoes so that they can take part.

Don’t forget that Central Park has lots of other things to do during the afternoon. There are sunken, sensory and formal gardens to explore, an aviary to visit and flat paved nature walks suitable for pushchairs.

Families can also enjoy the numerous playthings in the adventure playground, the paddling pool will be open, or the kids can get gritty in the sandpit while parents relax in the picnic areas. There is also the Buttercross Tea rooms, where families can take a well-deserved break and grab a bite to eat after all that fun.

Activities begin around midday.

Dragon Boat Festival

Peterborough Rowing Club, June 8

The 21st Peterborough Dragon Boat Festival will see more than 40 teams compete over the 200m race course on the rowing lake, watched by several thousand spectators. Up to 10 people paddle each 30’ boat with a drummer at the front beating time and a helm at the tail steering a straight course.

As well as the exciting races, a wide range of bankside entertainment, food stalls and fun activities guarantee a fabulous day out for all the family. The event will be raising funds for Peterborough’s Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice.

Craig David Concert

Peterborough United Stadium, June 8

The global superstar and his full live band will perform an arsenal of hits. He will be joined by international DJ Sigala who will be bringing a full live band set, and chart-topping artist and songwriter Becky Hill. Getting the crowd into the party mood will be the rising star DJ Nathan Dawe.

tickets from www.theposhtickets.com, www.ticketmaster.co.uk, www.lhgtickets.com

Bourne Festival

Wellhead Park, June 7, 8 and 9

The huge family-friendly, charity event, organised and staffed by volunteers, gets underway at 6pm on Friday, running all day Saturday and Sunday. There will be plenty of funfair rides for children of all ages, craft fair, trade stalls, food area, beer festival with real ales galore and live music with 20 bands playing.

Admission: £3 per day, £5 for weekend pass , under-11s free. Pay on the gate.

Peterborough Arts Cinema

John Clare Theatre, tonight

Sorry to Bother You (7.30pm) is set in an alternate version of Oakland, where Cassius Green gets a telemarketing job and finds the commission paid job a dispiriting struggle as a black man selling to predominately white people over the phone.

peterboroughartscinema.co.uk

Chris Norman

The Cresset, June 10

The voice of 70s’ hitmakers Smokie is back on the road with his band. And with over 20 solo albums to his name, he’s back with a brand new collection and sounding better than ever.

www.cresset.co.uk

City of Peterborough Symphony Orchestra

Queen Katharine Academy, June 8

There will be a star role for one of the CPSO’s regular horn players when he is the soloist for Mozart’s 3rd Horn Concerto. Tim Rausch has been

playing the horn since he was 13 and studied at both Northern Illinois and Indiana Universities. He has been with the CPSO for four years.

Tickets at www.cpso.org.uk

Oundle Road Community Fun Day

Cherry Tree Park, June 8

There is free entertainment from 11am to 4pm with bouncy castle and face painting plus free pizza (while stocks last) in association with the Yard of Ale pub.

Details from 07910276193

Exhibition

Cromwell Museum, Huntingdon, until June 9

A huge scale model of the pride of Oliver Cromwell’s navy, the warship ‘Naseby’, which was later used to transport Charles II back to England in 1660, was donated to the museum by the family of the late Fred Pearl, a model and prop maker.

www.cromwellmuseum.org

Marmalade Cake weekend

Peckover House, Wisbech, June 8 and 9

Visitors will go back through time to the Victorian age, when the Peckover cooks are busy preparing for Alexandrina’s 10th

birthday party. As the cooks discuss all the gossip of their

times, they are unaware that the little girl would eventually grow up to be the family member who gifted the house to the National Trust.

www. nationaltrust.org.uk/peckover

Wittering Flower Festival

All Saints Church, June 8/9

All welcome. Cream teas on sale. Supported by Barnack & District RBL

Sat 10:30-4pm; Sun 11:30-4pm

Saving Private Ryan

Showcase Cinema, June 6, 9 and 10

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, Showcase is screening Steven Spielberg’s 1998 Academy Award-winning film. Relive the drama and destruction of D-Day as Spielberg brings to life a powerful opening sequence of the Allied troops landing on Omaha Beach. to fight back against Nazi Germany in World War II.

www.showcase-cinemas.co.uk